Is the Bloom Off at FTD?
THE flower brand of your Mom and Dad, burdened with debt, faces aggressive challenges from competitors and shrinking US sales.
There is no surprise reading this article. After giving our notice with FTD 3 years ago I believe we have a better understanding on how companies like FTD and the others that are mentioned operate. Their goal is to basically be the middleman between consumers and retail florist. They have done a great job keeping the flow of money between consumers themselves and their member florist but have done incredible damage to the industry. The practice of discounting products not only has impacted the profits of FTD but retail member florist that have looked to FTD to bring them customers and assuring those customers quality product.
FTD has come up with their version of direct ship flowers furthering the continuing discount of the industry. Instead of rewarding their members with continued business they have stripped away those orders that once where filled by professional florist that proudly displayed the FTD logo in their stores. The day that FTD disappears will be one of the first steps to bringing back quality and consumer confidence back into this industry.
1800flowers is no better since they have continued to battle with FTD in their own game of price wars. But yet again 1800flowers has fooled their new members into filling their orders only to take them away again with direct ship flowers.
I am a retail florist and even though everyone once to do our job it will only be done correctly through the eyes and hands of a real local florist.
read more digg story
There is no surprise reading this article. After giving our notice with FTD 3 years ago I believe we have a better understanding on how companies like FTD and the others that are mentioned operate. Their goal is to basically be the middleman between consumers and retail florist. They have done a great job keeping the flow of money between consumers themselves and their member florist but have done incredible damage to the industry. The practice of discounting products not only has impacted the profits of FTD but retail member florist that have looked to FTD to bring them customers and assuring those customers quality product.
FTD has come up with their version of direct ship flowers furthering the continuing discount of the industry. Instead of rewarding their members with continued business they have stripped away those orders that once where filled by professional florist that proudly displayed the FTD logo in their stores. The day that FTD disappears will be one of the first steps to bringing back quality and consumer confidence back into this industry.
1800flowers is no better since they have continued to battle with FTD in their own game of price wars. But yet again 1800flowers has fooled their new members into filling their orders only to take them away again with direct ship flowers.
I am a retail florist and even though everyone once to do our job it will only be done correctly through the eyes and hands of a real local florist.
read more digg story
posted by Everyday Flowers | 11:27 PM
1 Comments:
Good post. As with any business eliminating the middle person improves profitability and service for the parties which remain in the transaction.
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